rockwell



@with faire @sind y Hirsi' IMPROVED SAFETY FOR HARNESS.

SPECIFICATION. TO ALL WHOM .IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, A. H. ROCKWELL, of Harpersville, in the county of Broome, in Vithe State ofdlew` York, have invented a new and improved Safety Line or Rein for Harnesses; and I do `herebydeclare tlnit the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to makeand use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this ispeeiiieation.` i

The present invention relates to harnesses for horses more especially, and it has for` its principal object to prevent .both kicking and biting in double or single harnesses; my invention in the latter case `being especially j desirable, as it then acts as a preventive against the` kicking of the horse when ata rest or stop.

I accomplish the above object by passing a single iineor rein, which I denominate the safety line, through 1` one of the terret rings of the harness, which I prefer should be the off ring of the said terret rings, and securing or fastening it to the inner'end of the short check-reins or straps running through theoverdraw, hung tothe inner ringsof a double-ring-bit, tothe outer rings of which the short check-reins or straps and the ordinary" driving reins of the harness are hung. v Y n With the above-described connection between the safety line, as Iterm it, and the short-check and over-` draw in combination with the double-ringsbit, in case the horse, to which a harness having such an arrangement of a safety strap is applied, should attemptor show the least sign or make the slightest motion to throw or kick up its hind legs, and thus to endanger the life or the limbs of the person or persons within the` carriageto which such horse is harnessed, or to injure the said carriage, by simply pulling uponthe said line the short-cheek and over-draw will be made to so act upon the horses mouth or jaws as to causehiln to throwuphis head tosucha height or degree as to then bring his hind legs to a position in which it would bean impossibility for him to i kick; this result being accomplished Without'the least injury to themouth or jawsof` the` horse.

.In accompanying plate iof' drawings my improved arrangement of a safety line"for the harnesses of horses is illustrated, thc figure being a side elevation or view of a horse, showing my improvement in harnesses applied to it.

harnessed to a vehicle with a harness having my improvement to be described; C the ordinary shortcheck-straps, which, in lieu of beinghooked over the check-hook ususally employed, is made somewhat shorter, and is secured to the strap or rein B, herein above referred to, as plainly shown in the drawings, and`passing' through the, rings of the overdraw straps D, in connection with the said overdraw straps hung to Va doublefring-bitfE, theorie; Jto the outside rings F, of the bit, to which the ordinary harness reins are hung,vand theother tothe-insideand loose rings G, there being one of each of the rings F and G upon cach side ofthe horses mouth.`

From the above description, and'by an inspection of the drawings, it is plain `to be understood and seen `that" iif the line or rein B be drawn or pulled by the driver toward him, it will, acting` through the short check-straps to which it is secured, and the ovcrdraw strapsof the harness upon the doublding-bit,bring the bit andfits inner rings to so bear upon the inside and outside of the mouth or jaws, as to cause the h orse `toimmediately i throw up or raisehis head, in doing which, of course, he will be thrown back upon his hind `legsiirto such a position as to render4 it impossible for him to kick so long as he is in that position; thus, asis obvious, prof` du cing a preventive against the-kicking of a hors'e when in harness, that while it is simple in the construction :i ml combination of its parts, it is eiective to the highest possible degree, theoperation of the bit upon themouth or jaws of` the horse, produced by the present invention, occasioning no injury to the saine, from the fact that the strain on the bit by the pulling of the line, acting through the short'check and overdraw straps, does not tend to run the bit up the mouth against the inner corners or ends of the same, as is obvious without any further o explanation,

Although, in the above description, I have more particularly described my improvement in connection with a it is plain to be seen that it can; he as readily applied to double harnesses, and therefore 'do 'single harness,

not intend to limit myself to its use in either a single or a double harness. It may be here remarked inconcln` sion, that to render the safety line self-operating, as it were, it may be run from the terret ring, `through a suitable loop or ring on the crnpper strap of the harness, and thence down to one or the other of theV shafts, or the pole of the vehicle. By `this arrangement, it is plain to be seen that the leastupward movement of the buttocks t of the horse, caused by the act of kicking or the attempt to kick, will produce thedesired lpull on, the safety i A in the drawings represents one of the terret rings of the harness, through which a line, strap, 1er reinLB, i 'is passed. This strap is made of suiiicient length to be conveniently grasped by the driver of the horse` which is` line or rein B, to throw up the horses head. And, furthermore, it may be here stated, that to retain or hold the ofverdraw straps down on the head of the horse, I pass them through loops H, made at suitable points' in the head-stall of the harness, as plainly shown in the drawings.

v I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent- The overdrmv straps D, secured to the rings G, sliding loosely on the joint bit, the check straps C, securedv to the end rings of the same bit, operating together in combination with the rein B, in the manner as and for he purpose specied. t A The above specification of my invention signed by me thisZQd day of August, 1866.v

- A. H. ROCKWELL.

Witnesses;

JAS. A. SERVICE, ALBERT W. B Rown, 

